Hawaii not enforcing EV charging station laws at big parking lots

When it comes to enforcing a Hawaii state law mandating operators of large parking lots to provide electric-vehicle charging stations, the Aloha spirit is a little too laid back for some plug-in advocates. Long considered a pioneer for widespread plug-in vehicle adoption, Hawaii's having trouble enforcing Act 89, the law that requires all parking lots with more than 100 spaces to have an electric-vehicle charging station and a special stall, Hawaii News Now says.

The number of EVs in the islands has more than tripled (to almost 2,000) since the law was passed in April 2012 and, with about 350 charging stations statewide, Hawaii has the largest number of charging stations per capita in the US, the publication says. Still, no enforcement protocol was spelled out when the law was passed, meaning some parking lots are not getting EV ready, as it were.

With relatively short driving distances no matter where you want to go and some of the country's highest gas prices, Hawaii remains ripe for EV adoption and some of its public entities have pushed for that. Last month, the Hawaiian Electric Co. (HECO) got the Okay from the state's Public Utilities Commission to offer lower rates for businesses that install fast-charging stations. Last year, the state provided EV advocate Plug In America a $50,000 grant to make a 48-page guidebook targeting EV novices.